Airplane



C. TWINING May 31, 1938.

AIRPLANE Filed Jan. 16, 1937 m mm BEL/W ATTORNEYS Patented May 31, 1938.

2,119,369 AIRPLANE Charles Twining,

Garden City, N. Y.

Application January 16, 1937, Serial No. 120,863

4 Claims.

This invention relates to airplanes and more particularly to improvements in airplanes having a propeller and its driving engine mounted for swinging movement between a position in which 5 the propeller provides traction propulsion to a position in which the propeller provides lifting propulsion. In previous airplanes of this type, the propeller shaft has been fixed against lateral movement which has prevented free roll of the fuselage with respect to the propeller shaft when the latter is in position to provide lifting propulson.

An object of this invention is a propeller mounting which permits relative lateral movement between the fuselage and the propeller shaft when the propeller is arranged in its position of lifting propulsion and which is provided with means for easily and accurately returning the propeller to its position of traction propulsion.

Other objects, novel features and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following specification and accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of an airplane having its propeller mounted in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary front view withthe motor in traction propulsion position;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary front view with the motor in its position of lifting propulsion;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of a three engine airplane with one of the engines mounted in accordance with the invention, and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a portion of the propeller mounting.

In Fig. 1,. It indicates an airplane fuselage which may be of any suitable type and II designates the wing associated therewith. For simplicitys sake, the airplane has been disclosed as a monoplane but it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to any particular type of plane but can be utilized in connectionwith any desired type.

A pair of standards l2 rest on and are fastened to the top surface of the wing II. The ring l3 has trunnions M journalled in the upper portions of the standards l2.- The axis of rotation of the ring I} is transverse to the longitudinal or main axis of the airplane. An engine I5 is provided with trunnions I6 which are journalled in the ring I 3 with the axis of rotation being parallel to and in the same vertical plane with the main or longitudinal axis of the airplane. Preferably, the engine is of the radial cylinder type as the 55 invention is best adapted to mounting engines of this type. However, it is to be understood that the invention may be applied to other forms of airplane engines. A preferably compound propeller I1 is attached to the crank shaft of the engine in the usual manner including a reversing bevel gear mechanism 30, and a flexible hose I511. is provided for supplying fuel to the engine.

The engine mounting above described permits movement of the engine and propellers from the position shown in full lines in Fig. 1 to the position shown in dotted lines in the same figure. In the full line position, the propellers are arranged for traction propulsion While in its dotted line position the. propellers are arranged for lifting propulsion. In the latter position, the propellers may be used to assist in taking off and in landing or in emergencies by providing an upward pulling force. By reason of the pivotal mounting of the engine in the ring I3, relative lateral move- .ment of the propellers and fuselage is permitted so that the fuselage may roll laterally as well as pit'ch longitudinally while being supported by the propellers.

The rear end of the engine casing is Weighted so that the engine and propellers tend automatically to move into the dotted line position shown in Fig. 1. A latch l8 operated through the medium of a rod l9 extending into the fuselage coacts with one trunnion [4 to hold the engine and propeller in the full line position of Fig. 1. Upon release of the latch 18 by actuation of the rod IS, the engine and propeller. automatically assume the .dotted line position shown in Fig. 1. A cable 20 passes over a pulley 2| on a post 22 and is attached to a stud 23 provided at the rear end of the engine case. By means of this cable, the propellers and engine arepulled from the dotted line position of Fig. 1 to the full line position. Guide members 24 are carried by the "post 22 and terminate at their upper ends in a socket in which the stud 23 is received. This socket is so arranged that when the stud is seated therein, the propeller shaftis parallel with and lies in the same vertical plane as the main longitudinal axis of the airplane. The guide members 24 are arcuate in side elevation and diverge in plan and front elevation. ,The'lower ends are so arranged that when the propellers and engine are in the position for lifting propulsion, the stud 23 engages one of the guide members upon lateral movement of the propeller shaft through an arc of approxiinately in either direction from vertical posi- I tion. These guides therefore serve to limit relative lateral movement of the propellers and fuselage as well as to guide the stud into its notch.

Should the propeller shaft be at an angle to the fuselage when the cable 20 is being pulled, the guide members will bring the propeller shaft into longitudinal alinement as it is moved into its horizontal position.

The plane preferably should be so constructed that the center of its total weight and load as well as the center of lift of the wings will lie approximately in the line of the normal axis of the plane. Furthermore, the engine mounting preferably should be so arranged that when the propellers are in their position of lifting propulsion, the axis of the propeller shaft is in alinement with the center of gravity and center of lift.

To bring the engine and propellers from the dotted line position to the full line position of Fig. 1, the engine is swung about the trunnions I! through the medium of the cable 20 and when it reaches the full line position, the latch I8 is actuated to hold the engine and propellers in such position. When it is desired to return the propellers and engine to the dotted line position, the latch I8 is released, whereupon the engine and propellers swing about the trunnions l4 under the force of gravity due to the weight provided for that purpose in the rear end of the engine case.

In Fig. 4, the center engine is provided with the mounting just described, while the engines at either side are mounted in the standard manner for traction propulsion only. The center engine and its propellers may be used for lifting the plane off the earth and for holding the plane at any desired elevation. It is of course understood that other combinations of engines than those shown herein might also be used.

The compound propeller l'l consists of two sets of blades mounted on concentric shafts, one of which is fixed to the engine shaft. Gearing 30 is interposed between the two shafts so as to effect offset and equal rotation of the two shafts and sets of blades, thereby preventing the development of any turning moment in the enbe used but in such event the gearing 30 will be of such a nature as to rotate the two shafts at such speeds that the two sets of propellers will engage equal air resistance.

I claim:

1. In an airplane, a frame, a propeller and engine assembly, means supporting said assembly from said frame for limited universal movement, a stud on said engine, a socket to receive said stud when said assembly axis is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the airplane, and arcuate converging guide members leading to said socket, said guide members being engageable by said stud to limit lateral movement of said assembly and to direct said stud into said socket.

2. In an airplane, a frame, a ring having trunnions journalled in said frame, a propeller and engine assembly pivotally supported by said ring, a stud on said engine, a socket to receive said stud when said assembly axis is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the airplane, and arcuate converging guide members leading to said socket, said guide members being engageable by said stud to limit lateral movement of said assembly and to direct said stud into said socket.

3. In an airplane, a frame, a propeller and engine assembly, means supporting said assembly from said frame for limited universal movement, said assembly having a pointed tail, a socket to receive said tail when said assembly axis is parallelto the longitudinal axis of the airplane, and arcuate converging guide members leading to said socket, said guide members being engageable by said tail to limit lateral movement of said assembly and to direct said tail into said socket.

4. In an airplane,a frame, a ring having trunnions journalled in said frame, a propeller and engine assembly pivotally supported by said ring, said assembly having a pointed tail, 2. socket to receive said tail when said assembly axis is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the airplane and arcuate converging guide members leading to said socket, said guide members being engageable by said tail to limit lateral movement of said assembly and to direct said tail into said socket.

CHARLES TWIN'ING. 

